A couple of nights ago I finally got around to doing some test shots.
These were taken with a 50mm lens on my digi (thereby becoming about 75mm). If it gets that far the final works will be shot on film and probably wider.
Opinions willingly sought.
Friday, 29 February 2008
The Abstract
For a couple of years now I've been contemplating this series.
A couple of nights ago I finally got around to doing some test shots.
These were taken with a 50mm lens on my digi (thereby becoming about 75mm). If it gets that far the final works will be shot on film and probably wider.
Opinions willingly sought.
A couple of nights ago I finally got around to doing some test shots.
These were taken with a 50mm lens on my digi (thereby becoming about 75mm). If it gets that far the final works will be shot on film and probably wider.
Opinions willingly sought.
Thursday, 28 February 2008
The Clearing
This is what happens when good photography turns bad.
Take a nice location pic, do a poor clearcut to get rid of the background (i.e. the location - which was specifically chosen and used for the illustrative possibilities it offered), and print the thing.
Real nice.
Oh. And have you met my young son? We don't get on too well, cos he's ..... well he's a mummy's boy. About half an hour is all he can manage with me. Which, quite frankly, suits me fine.
Take a nice location pic, do a poor clearcut to get rid of the background (i.e. the location - which was specifically chosen and used for the illustrative possibilities it offered), and print the thing.Real nice.
Oh. And have you met my young son? We don't get on too well, cos he's ..... well he's a mummy's boy. About half an hour is all he can manage with me. Which, quite frankly, suits me fine.
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
The Backpackers
When we were in Auckland a while ago - December 2006 to be precise - we stayed at a backpackers.The one indicated by this sign - to be precise.
We was made up of four of us, though, to be precise, one of us didn't survive the first night.
The backpackers had a pleasant backyard. This one - to be precise.However, it should in no way be taken as indicative of the backpackers itself.
Which was, frankly, a bit of a hovel. To be precise.
Sunday, 24 February 2008
The Falls
Very vaguely inspired by an image from Gavin Hipkins 'The Homely'.
By "very vaguely inspired by", I'm just acknowledging my knowledge that Gavin took a photo here too once, and that my image should in no way be seen as a copy or even a reference to his work, merely I am just proving my smarts.
Friday, 22 February 2008
The Lake
Cos it's such a nice day, and cos I've earned my money for the day, and cos I can, I'm about to jump on the bike and go for a ride. Somewhere. Probably near water.This water is Lake Taupo. From our Big Day Out roadtrip. Possible works for my "A Poorly Focussed Life" series.
This is also Lake Taupo. Motutere to be exact. From a moving car. By the driver.
Wednesday, 20 February 2008
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
The Knight
Last February, on my wee roadtrip, we stopped off at Knights Point for a wee leg stretch. It was scorchingly hot, not unpleasant, but a bit of a shock after the air-conditioned Pajero.
Someone had built a shelter there. Nice people.
Standing in the shelter you could get a spectacular view down to Jackson Bay. Spectacular.
That's why I took the shot above.
The view was so spectacular it was boring. Especially on such a scorchingly hot blue sky day.
Near the shelter there's also a bike stand cum monument.
It memorialises some feat. So I took a photo of that too.
Andric didn't take any photos.
We then jumped back in the truck and headed to Hasst. Well the main road bypasses the township so we did too, making it to Wanaka about 9.30pm tired, starving and grouchy (mainly due to being tired and starving) due to getting up in Franz Josef at about 6.00am, fitting in a bush walk at Franz, and long walk to Fox and half a dozen walks between Hasst and Wanaka, not to mention lots of photos, and no food since about 11.30am.
Oh it's such a hard life I have. So hard.
Someone had built a shelter there. Nice people.Standing in the shelter you could get a spectacular view down to Jackson Bay. Spectacular.
That's why I took the shot above.
The view was so spectacular it was boring. Especially on such a scorchingly hot blue sky day.
Near the shelter there's also a bike stand cum monument.
It memorialises some feat. So I took a photo of that too.Andric didn't take any photos.
We then jumped back in the truck and headed to Hasst. Well the main road bypasses the township so we did too, making it to Wanaka about 9.30pm tired, starving and grouchy (mainly due to being tired and starving) due to getting up in Franz Josef at about 6.00am, fitting in a bush walk at Franz, and long walk to Fox and half a dozen walks between Hasst and Wanaka, not to mention lots of photos, and no food since about 11.30am.
Oh it's such a hard life I have. So hard.
Monday, 18 February 2008
The Artiste
One of my friends got a new cellphone for Christmas. It's one of those fancy jobs that has a camera on it and stuff. So while we were on our road trip coming back from The Big Day Out, she took photos.
Of me.
Taking photos.
Of other stuff.
In Rotorua.
Amongst the tourists. (I was waiting for them to disappear so I could actually take my photo.)
Just out of Hastings.
And doing my serious artist face in Napier.
With a different camera.
And a Polaroid developing in my armpit.
My friend's camera is very clever cos it allows her to make panorama images like the top three, or normal images like the bottom one. It gave her something to do while I was messing about, driving, putting up the tent, eating, etc etc.
I would add a link so you can all see her flash phone. But I'm not geek enough to know anything much about it. So I can't.
Of me.
Taking photos.
Of other stuff.
In Rotorua.
Amongst the tourists. (I was waiting for them to disappear so I could actually take my photo.)
Just out of Hastings.
And doing my serious artist face in Napier.With a different camera.
And a Polaroid developing in my armpit.
My friend's camera is very clever cos it allows her to make panorama images like the top three, or normal images like the bottom one. It gave her something to do while I was messing about, driving, putting up the tent, eating, etc etc.I would add a link so you can all see her flash phone. But I'm not geek enough to know anything much about it. So I can't.
Saturday, 16 February 2008
The Evening
The other Thursday evening I went for a walk up to Ataturk Memorial to grab a shot.
But the thing I wanted to shoot wasn't there any more. So instead I pulled out my digital and shot a bunch of pics of the view.
On Saturday, while working on yet another damned proposal, I got Photoshop photomerge to throw them all together for me. It did a poor job, so I had to do some fixxy uppy on it.
But here it is - in all it's poorly retouched glory.
If that's not big enough for you, I've also put a larger version on my website.
In case you couldn't tell, it was a lovely night.
But the thing I wanted to shoot wasn't there any more. So instead I pulled out my digital and shot a bunch of pics of the view.
On Saturday, while working on yet another damned proposal, I got Photoshop photomerge to throw them all together for me. It did a poor job, so I had to do some fixxy uppy on it.
But here it is - in all it's poorly retouched glory.
If that's not big enough for you, I've also put a larger version on my website.In case you couldn't tell, it was a lovely night.
Wednesday, 13 February 2008
The Swimmer
Those of you with good memories - or so sad that the subject of my blogs remains utmost in your mind - will remember about this time last year I posted a bunch of images from a swim I did at Brighton Beach, Dunedin, on January 14, 2007.
Well on January 1, 2008, I went for another swim. There were some differences however. 1) I wasn't alone. 2) I was dragged against my will under the influence of coffee (and heat). 3) It was stinking hot. 4) We went to Seatoun Beach. 5) There were other people. 6) There was foliage (in the water).
After jumping in the water I remembered that one of the underwater cameras I bought a summer ago had been sitting in my car ever since. I decided that this would be an opportune time to use it.
Here now are those shots. Including a number of the person who dragged me there at coffee point and who also took some of the shots, some of the awesome dude who took the rest of the shots, and some of random people doing not so random stuff.
I really should have edited this lot down a bit. But I'm lazy. And that's work. Thinking kinda work.
Well on January 1, 2008, I went for another swim. There were some differences however. 1) I wasn't alone. 2) I was dragged against my will under the influence of coffee (and heat). 3) It was stinking hot. 4) We went to Seatoun Beach. 5) There were other people. 6) There was foliage (in the water).
After jumping in the water I remembered that one of the underwater cameras I bought a summer ago had been sitting in my car ever since. I decided that this would be an opportune time to use it.
Here now are those shots. Including a number of the person who dragged me there at coffee point and who also took some of the shots, some of the awesome dude who took the rest of the shots, and some of random people doing not so random stuff.
I really should have edited this lot down a bit. But I'm lazy. And that's work. Thinking kinda work.
Monday, 11 February 2008
The Cuties
For ages now (it seems like years cos well I guess it has been years now) I've been sporadically scanning family photos and things for the wall of shame Mum intends putting up at their place.
I've scanned all my paternal grandfather's slides, reprinted all my maternal grandfather's war photos (cos I didn't have a scanner then), and scanned numerous and various other shots of family from various generations - mainly from my mother's side.
I even set up a blog to post some of my grandfathers' photos, but as you can see I haven't done that yet. Maybe one day. When I feel I have much more time on my hands.
These photos, however, just had to be posted.
Aaawwww, ain't they cute.
The same three but in different order. A couple of years later. In Christchurch. At Mum's parent's house. One Christmas. (I like the roman sandal tan lines on the little blondie's feet.)
And all the grandkids as they existed at the time, which sadly isn't on any of the photos but my guess is 1975. I did think 1976, but that was when the floods happened and we went to Whitemans Valley for Christmas not Christchurch.
Anyway, here's the names just in case you're really that interested.
Stephen, Janine, Andrew, Timothy, Amanda, Geoffrey, Craig. (Initally I thought Amanda was Neil, but in another photo the baby is on Aunty #2's knee, so I'm assuming that makes Aunty #2 the baby's mum which makes the baby Amanda not Neil.)
I've scanned all my paternal grandfather's slides, reprinted all my maternal grandfather's war photos (cos I didn't have a scanner then), and scanned numerous and various other shots of family from various generations - mainly from my mother's side.
I even set up a blog to post some of my grandfathers' photos, but as you can see I haven't done that yet. Maybe one day. When I feel I have much more time on my hands.
These photos, however, just had to be posted.
Aaawwww, ain't they cute.
The same three but in different order. A couple of years later. In Christchurch. At Mum's parent's house. One Christmas. (I like the roman sandal tan lines on the little blondie's feet.)
And all the grandkids as they existed at the time, which sadly isn't on any of the photos but my guess is 1975. I did think 1976, but that was when the floods happened and we went to Whitemans Valley for Christmas not Christchurch.Anyway, here's the names just in case you're really that interested.
Stephen, Janine, Andrew, Timothy, Amanda, Geoffrey, Craig. (Initally I thought Amanda was Neil, but in another photo the baby is on Aunty #2's knee, so I'm assuming that makes Aunty #2 the baby's mum which makes the baby Amanda not Neil.)